5 Ways Flexible Work Options Benefit Small Businesses

By Brittney Morgan, Writer October 23, 2014 12:34 pm EST

MORE

Credit: Lucky Business/Shutterstock

Working remotely is the dream for many employees, especially those with busy personal lives or important family obligations. Who wouldn't want more flexibility in their work schedule or the ability to work from the comfort of their own home?

Job flexibility has perks for employers, too: Companies that are willing to offer more flexible job options may find that their employees are happier and more committed to their jobs, or even that they get more work done.

Are you unsure if your business could benefit from offering more flexibility? Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of online job resource FlexJobs, shared five reasons why employers should consider offering more flexible work options.

1. It saves money. By giving employees the opportunity to work from home or work a flexible schedule, you're also saving money on resources, Fell said.

"Allowing employees to work from home means you need less office space, [which means] lower utility bills as a result [and] less office equipment to purchase and maintain," Fell said.

2. It reduces turnover. Hiring and training new employees is expensive, Fell noted, so if you want to keep your good employees on board, offer more flexibility. If you don't, it could force your employees to make difficult choices between work and their personal lives, she said.

"A small business is only as good as the people who work for it," Fell said. "Small business owners can make sure talented, quality employees stay put by offering them flexible work options."

3. It increases productivity. Job flexibility allows your employees to get their work done when it works best for them. Fell advised employers to take a look at the way their staff is currently working, to see if there's room to move their schedules or roles around.

"For [departments like] customer support, yes, they absolutely need to work set hours, but they can work from home," Fell said. "If a specific job or an entire department can be flexible, give them that chance. They're likely to be more focused and more productive as a result."

4. It's an attractive benefit. Offering flexible work options is a great way to make your company stand out from your competition, Fell said. Plus, it can be especially valuable when you're recruiting and hiring new employees.

"Display your flexible work options proudly on your website and in your job listings," she advised. By doing so, she noted, you're branding yourself as a great place to work.

5. It extends your talent pool. Small businesses don't have to be limited by their location if they're willing to offer flexibility. Having a work-from-home policy means you can be open to hiring people based on talent and experience, regardless of where they live, Fell said.

Fell also noted that flexibility can be especially helpful for your sales and customer service departments.

"Being able to hire people in different time zones helps you to provide more customer service coverage, or extend your sales territory without having to rent or build office space," she said.

Brittney Q. Morgan is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor, as well as a graduate of Drew University, where she majored in History. Her work can be found all across the web at Apartment Therapy, HuffPost, and more. You can also find her on Twitter at @brittneyplz.